Seizure!

[Donna]

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New onset seizure
I'm new to this forum. I'm happy to be here.two nights ago my doodle Gatsby, who is 4 years old, had a sudden grand mal seizure that sent flying off the bed into the floor in a violent way. I was horrified. The seizure last 5 minutes. He sees the vet in the morning. Does anyone know if this is a common problem in these dogs? He's so friendly, smart and playful! I'm broken hearted like crazy about him being afflicted with seizure. It's just not fair!
Added by Donna on February 6, 2014 at 2:38pm — No Comments

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Donna, I'm sorry you and Gatsby are going through this.  I know how frightening it is because I went through a similar incident with Finn about a year ago.  He had two seizures but neither lasted more than 20 - 30 seconds.  5 minutes seems quite long.  Finn seemed to know the second was coming on because he was uncharacteristically restless and laid on my bed growling softly.  His were atypical though, because he never lost consciousness, remained alert throughout and it only seemed to affect his hind legs.  The vet and neurologist haven't been able to agree on a diagnosis. So for now, we're on "pause."  He's been fine for months and we hope it continues (fingers crossed). I hope that Gatsby doesn't have another either.  Sending good thoughts your way.

[Donna]

Cheryl I'm so sorry Finn is afflicted by this as well. I truly hope he never has another again. They're such wonderful, sweet and loving dogs. Something as vicious as seizure is just so unfair. I timed the seizure start to finish. It was a long one. He's still scared! The vet said he should relax as each day goes by. He wouldn't even go into my room the day afterwards! He stopped at the door and you could see he was fearful. Weird how he related the room as being bad. Today he's going in there again. Thank you for your reply and your kindness.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Donna, my vet said there is some anecdotal evidence that increasing the Taurine in a dog's diet may raise the seizure threshold.  He's seen it reduce the frequency of seizures in some of his patients so he includes it in his overall management plan but he stressed there has not been any sound scientific study done on this but hopes there will be. It's 500 mg per 10 lbs - divided into 2 servings 10 hours apart.  I just add it to Finn's regular feedings.  Just stressing that this doesn't take the place of medical treatment  or medicine if recommended, but you could ask your vet about it.   

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

On a similar note, certain plants like rosemary and evening primrose oil are believed to lower the seizure threshold. Some dog foods contain rosemary. Be careful about using any type of "natural" supplements, too. 

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Good point, Karen.  Seems most of the better foods have rosemary.  Origen, Acana, Wellness, etc. Acana has a small amount, so small it's amount is not listed on the fact sheet … but Finn does so well on Acana, I've kept him on it.  But he's also been seizure-free. We screen the treats though…no additional rosemary. Old Mother Hubbard is rosemary-free.  Also I've read that keeping the same diet forever may lower the threshold -- I guess because of potential allergies can develop. Another good reason to rotate. OMD I read more labels for him than I do for me!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Keep in mind that the ingredients in any AAFCO-approved food are listed in order of amounts, from most to least. Anything listed after sodium makes up less than 1% of the total. So those things down at the very bottom of the list are present in miniscule amounts. :) 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I would imagine the rosemary amount is minuscule and I doubt it would affect the seizure threshold but I don,t know for sure. Usually such things are dose related. Why do they add rosemary, taste?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

From the Dog Food Advisor:

I’ve heard rosemary extract causes seizures. Is this true?

Rosemary is frequently used in dog food as a natural anti-oxidant and preservative.¹ It’s also considered an anti-cancer agent.²

However, we’ve never been able to find any scientific studies linking rosemary extract with seizures in dogs. We’ve only found mention of its potential relationship in humans. And then, only rarely in subjects prone to epileptic seizures in the first place.³

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/frequently-asked-questions/dog-food-i...

[F, Calla & Luca]

Thanks. Now I think you may have posted this before.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Yep, Karen, that's what I thought.  Thanks :)

[Donna]

I'm wondering if the level of Rosemary can build up with daily use of a food that contains it?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No, it doesn't stay in the body.